Emergency Food Storage Basics

INTRODUCTION

Earthquakes, fi res, severe storms, and power outages are just some of the potential emergencies that can be encountered. Imagine that you have no electricity, no gas, no water, and no telephone service. What would happen if you were told to evacuate your home in the next 10 minutes? Imagine that all the businesses were closed and you were without any kind of emergency services. What would you do until help arrives?

Th e 3-Day Emergency Food and Water Supply is meant to be a quickly accessed, portable source of food and water that can sustain you and your family for several days. It should be stored in one or two containers for quick portability. Th e foods chosen should be ready to eat without the need for cooking or refrigeration (Eliason and Lloyd, 2005). Commercially canned foods are a good option because they don’t require cooking or refrigeration. During short-term emergencies, you should be looking for calories and comfort foods. Don’t worry about vitamins or even nutritional content for such a short period of time.

Th e 3-Week/ 3-Month Emergency Food and Water Supply Kits are meant for a disaster when food and water delivery may be interrupted. Hurricane Katrina is a perfect example of the normal delivery of food being interrupted. Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet by purchasing a few extra items each week. Expand on this until you reach your goal. Not all of these foods will be ready to eat, and bulk foods must be added such as grains, beans, and dried milk. Plans must be made to store these foods and to provide the necessary means to prepare them. For medium-term emergencies you should look for calories and comfort foods like short-term emergency foods, but also make plans to sustain nutrition from 3 weeks to 3 months. You should not worry too much about vitamin defi ciencies since it will usually take more than 3 months to see symptoms. And, short-term vitamin defi ciencies can be quickly reversed.

Th e Long-Term Food Supply is emergency foods suffi cient for one or more years. It would take quite a disaster to last this long, but many feel this type of event is worth preparing for. Long-term food storage emphasizes a mixture of canned goods that can be safely stored for several years and low-moisture foods that can be safely stored for long periods (10-30 years). A year supply of basic food storage for one person is about 400 lbs wheat, 60 lbs dry beans, 60 lbs sugar, 16 lbs powdered milk, 10 qts oil, and 8 lbs salt (Eliason and Lloyd, 2005). Th is supply will provide enough calories for one person for one year, but may be lacking in calcium and vitamins A, C, B12, and E. Meeting complete nutritional needs in long-term food storage may require additional foods. For example vitamins A and C can be found in canned or bottled fruits and vegetables as well as in some fruit drink mixes. Vitamin B12 can be found in canned meats and beef jerky. Calcium can be found in powdered milks, hot cocoa, and pudding mixes. Vitamin E can be found in fats, oils, and nuts. A typical long-term food

supply for a family of four could weigh as much as 1500-2000 lbs. Th at’s almost a “ton” of food! Vitamin defi ciencies should be addressed when considering surviving off food storage for longer than 3 months. Th ese foods must be stored along with equipment to prepare them (Eliason, Lloyd, 2005).

PLANNING

• Buy foods that you enjoy and are likely to eat. • Slowly buy extra food each week until you have the amount of food storage desired. • Plan meals so that there will be no left overs in case there is no refrigeration. • Each person should have 1 gallon of water per day for drinking, preparation of food, and personal hygiene. (May want to plan for more than this if you live in a hot climate, if someone is pregnant, or if someone is sick (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010)). • Stock up on foods that you and your family enjoy and foods that are high in calories and good nutrition (FEMA, 2004) • Preparing food becomes diffi cult when there is a loss of gas, electricity, and water. Have on hand cooking and eating utensils, paper plates, cups and towels, a manual can opener, a gas or charcoal grill (camp stove), and fuel for cooking, such as charcoal (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). • If you have pets, make sure to have a food and water supply for them as well (Red Cross, 2009). • Avoid fatty, high protein and salty foods when your water supply is low (FEMA, 2004). • Have a supply of soap and hand sanitizer to keep hands clean and to prevent sickness. • Have a refrigerator thermometer. • Each person should eat at least one meal per day.

STORAGE

• Food and water should be rotated every 6-12 months and use-by dates should be followed to ensure that they are safe to consume. • Store canned goods in a dry, cool place, about 40-60°F to prevent spoiling (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). • Keep food protected from insects and rodents by storing in air tight containers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). • Do not consume canned goods that have become swollen, dented, or corroded (Red Cross, 2009). • In case of a power outage, eat foods in refrigerator fi rst, then from the freezer, then from storage. In a well-insulated freezer, foods are usually good for 2 days if there are still ice crystals in the center of the food. Keep fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible (FEMA, 2004) • Make sure the fridge stays under 40° F. If the fridge is unopened, food will stay good for 4 hours (Seltzer, 2012).

SUGGESTED FOOD FOR mEDIUm AND LONG-TERm EmERGENCY STORAGE (Elliot, 2013)

Meats/Meat AlternativesGrains Fruits Vegetables Miscellaneous

Dry Cereal Crackers Instant Potatoes Instant Rice Instant Cereal Canned Ravioli/ Spaghetti Granola Bars Chips Canned Tuna Canned Meat Canned Beans Peanut Butter Beef Jerky Nuts

Canned Soup/Stew/Chili Kippered Snacks Applesauce Packs Canned Fruit Dried Fruit Canned Juice Fruit Roll-ups Jellies & Jams Canned Tomatoes Salsa Canned Vegetables Bottled Water Cocoa Packets Pudding Cups Non-fat Dried Milk Powdered Fruit Drinks Comfort Foods